Linux Mint 17.1 KDE "Rebecca"
What can I say? It just works. I believe Kubuntu will survive quite well, one way or another. I plan on staying here with Kubuntu. But for those of you who would want a counter to the more adventurous Debian (covered in another thread), relax and rest assured, there's always Mint.
Quote:
The purpose of Linux Mint is to produce a modern, elegant and comfortable operating system which is both powerful and easy to use.
Linux Mint is the most popular desktop Linux distribution and the 3rd most widely used home operating system behind Microsoft Windows and Apple Mac OS.
Some of the reasons for the success of Linux Mint are:
It works out of the box, with full multimedia support and is extremely easy to use.
It's both free of cost and open source.
It's community-driven. Users are encouraged to send feedback to the project so that their ideas can be used to improve Linux Mint.
Based on Debian and Ubuntu, it provides about 30,000 packages and one of the best software managers.
It's safe and reliable. Thanks to a conservative approach to software updates, a unique Update Manager and the robustness of its Linux architecture, Linux Mint requires very little maintenance (no regressions, no antivirus, no anti-spyware...etc).
Linux Mint, home page: http://linuxmint.com/
Quote:
Linux Mint is an Ubuntu-based distribution whose goal is to provide a more complete out-of-the-box experience by including browser plugins, media codecs, support for DVD playback, Java and other components. It also adds a custom desktop and menus, several unique configuration tools, and a web-based package installation interface. Linux Mint is compatible with Ubuntu software repositories.
http://distrowatch.com/table.php?distribution=mint
Quote:
2. Mint's own desktop environment comes in the two major flavours Cinnamon and Mate, and in the minor flavours KDE and Xfce. Cinnamon is the most advanced and modern desktop of Mint, and is rightly considered to be its flagship. It's easy to use, yet fast, sophisticated and slick ... KDE: the KDE edition is of interest to advanced users, who like tons of configuration options in the menus..
How about that! We--Kubuntu--are seen as being someone's "advanced" option! See:
Linux Mint: what it is and how to select the right flavour for you
https://sites.google.com/site/easylinuxtipsproject/mint
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And there is a Mint Debian version.
Mint Debian, notes:
The future of Linux Mint Debian Edition and its derivatives
With Linux Mint Debian Edition set to switch from Debian Testing to Stable, what does this mean for its future?
http://www.zdnet.com/article/the-fut...d-derivatives/
Linux Mint Debian Edition: not for beginners and not for production machines
https://sites.google.com/site/easyli...ction-machines
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Mint has a new release strategy, basing its releases on the current Ubuntu LTS, not on the 6-month releases:
Quote:
And while Linux Mint 17.1 arrives as it usually does (a few weeks after the release of a new version of Ubuntu), version 17.1 is not based on Ubuntu's latest effort, 14.10. Instead, this edition of Mint remains tied to the last Long Term Support (LTS) release, Ubuntu 14.04.
Linux Mint 17.1 review--less change is good change
Now relying on an Ubuntu LTS base, Mint update shows the distro's strategy is on point.
http://arstechnica.com/information-t...s-good-change/
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Screenshot of Mint KDE (third shot down, the welcome screen is the 7th shot down):
http://www.linuxmint.com/screenshots.php
Releases (Mint KDE is only at 17.1):
http://www.linuxmint.com/oldreleases.php
Rebecca:
http://www.linuxmint.com/release.php?id=23
Interesting reviews:
Mint 17: The best Linux desktop to date
I've used hundreds of Linux desktops over the years, and Mint 17 with Cinnamon is my favorite one to date.
http://www.zdnet.com/article/mint-17...sktop-to-date/
Note the LTS: 2019
Mint 17 is the perfect place for Linux-ers to wait out Ubuntu uncertainty
http://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2014/...uncertainty/1/
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Linux Mint KDE
My experience so far: Nothing much remarkable, very similar to a Kubuntu installation, everything went well, Mint KDE is very nice, and here's some brief notes including UEFI considerations.
Using GParted, I made a 50 GB ext4 partition at sda8 for a test run of Mint (/ and /home).
Downloaded linuxmint-17.1-kde-64bit ,
used k3b to burn it to DVD (1.6 GB), re-booted, pressed F2 to enter my PC's UEFI firmware setup, saw the boot option labeled something like "UEFI TSSP [my DVD drive etc.]," selected that to boot, chose "Start Linux Mint 17.1 64-bit," (interestingly, it also offered "Start Linux Mint 17.1 64-bit (compatibility mode)" -- for non-UEFI-mode booting), finally got the Linux Mint KDE screen, very nice, clicked Install Linux Mint, then:
Installation type: I selected Manual
Prepare partitions screen: I selected the sda8 I created earlier using GParted
Device for bootloader: I left it at sda -- it won't matter what you select here since this is a UEFI installation, the installer and GRUB will see my ESP (at sda1) and use it.
It did ask to format sda8, I said No (since I already did everything using GParted).
It asked to format my existing swap partition (already made for Kubuntu): I said OK.
It then installed.
Installation complete.
One small hang-up: It ejected the installer DVD, but the screen froze with some white-on-black text messages (ModemManager is shut down), journaling the re-boot process; after awhile, I simply hit the re-boot button on my PC to re-boot. No problem.
Upon re-booting, Mint's GRUB boot menu appeared. Mint's GRUB took over the booting of the PC, where previously the booting was controlled by the GRUB in Kubuntu 14.04 (my preferred OS).
All my OSs were listed on the Mint GRUB boot menu, from which I chose to boot into Mint.
Typed Name and PW, getting to the Welcome Screen at the Mint Desktop.
13 links on the Welcome Screen, including New Features, User's Guide, Tutorials, Hardware database, Software manager, Mint forums, Idea pools, and Sponsors. I tried some, and they worked. The Welcome Screen is an app listed in the start menu (the bottom-left button on the screen > System).
=> Basically, since it is KDE, and being used to Kubuntu, I was familiar with almost everything in Mint KDE and could immediately start using it, configuring as necessary, including Skype and Kaffeine -- no problems.
I installed inxi using the package manager Synaptic. Then ran it:
Code:
inxi -Fxxx
System: Host: mike-All-Series Kernel: 3.13.0-37-generic x86_64 (64 bit, gcc: 4.8.2)
Desktop: KDE 4.14.2 (Qt 4.8.6) Distro: Linux Mint 17.1 Rebecca
Check the Booting:
Code:
sudo efibootmgr
BootCurrent: 0000
Timeout: 1 seconds
BootOrder: 0000,0003,0001,0005,0006,0002,0007
Boot0000* ubuntu <-- This is now Mint, over-writing my preferred Kubuntu 14.04
Boot0001* debian
Boot0002* grub_sda5K1504
Boot0003* rEFInd Boot Manager
Boot0005* Hard Drive
Boot0006* CD/DVD Drive
Boot0007* ubuntu <-- also for Mint
Boot0008* CD/DVD Drive
The first ubuntu listed is for this:
File(\EFI\UBUNTU\SHIMX64.EFI)
The second ubuntu listed is for this:
File(\EFI\UBUNTU\GRUBX64.EFI)
As explained here:
http://askubuntu.com/questions/34236...64-and-shimx64
the shimx64.efi calls the grubx64.efi
(has to do with getting past the Secure Boot thing). They both apply to the newly installed Mint, not to my preferred OS Kubuntu 14.04 (whose GRUB 2 EFI boot files got overwritten by Mint's GRUB).
Both those ubuntu entries pointed to by efibootmgr are in the ESP (=sda1), as you could see if you were to run sudo efibootmgr -v for more details and inspect the GUIDs.
/usr/lib/grub contains what it should for UEFI:
Code:
ls -l /usr/lib/grub
lrwxrwxrwx 1 root root 34 May 13 12:34 grub-mkconfig_lib -> ../../share/grub/grub-mkconfig_lib
drwxr-xr-x 2 root root 12288 Jul 6 12:00 x86_64-efi
drwxr-xr-x 2 root root 4096 Jul 6 12:00 x86_64-efi-signed
And the ESP ( = sda1) for ubuntu (Mint) is ok -- these boot files were placed in the ESP (= sda1) by Mint's GRUB 2-EFI:
Code:
ls -l /boot/efi/EFI/ubuntu
total 3416
-rwxr-xr-x 1 root root 126 Jul 6 2015 grub.cfg
-rwxr-xr-x 1 root root 956792 Jul 6 2015 grubx64.efi
-rwxr-xr-x 1 root root 1178240 Jul 6 2015 MokManager.efi
-rwxr-xr-x 1 root root 1355736 Jul 6 2015 shimx64.efi
To fix the BootOrder so the GRUB from my preferred OS, Kubuntu 14.04, controls the booting and is first in BootOrder:
Boot into Kubuntu 14.04, and do:
Code:
sudo grub-install
Installing for x86_64-efi platform.
Installation finished. No error reported.
sudo update-grub
Generating grub configuration file ...
Found linux image: /boot/vmlinuz-3.13.0-55-generic
Found initrd image: /boot/initrd.img-3.13.0-55-generic
Found linux image: /boot/vmlinuz-3.13.0-53-generic
Found initrd image: /boot/initrd.img-3.13.0-53-generic
Found Ubuntu 15.04 (15.04) on /dev/sda5
Found Linux Mint 17.1 Rebecca (17.1) on /dev/sda8
Found Debian GNU/Linux (8.1) on /dev/sda9
Adding boot menu entry for EFI firmware configuration
done
Now when I run efibootmgr, it looks the same as above, but means something different:
Code:
sudo efibootmgr
BootCurrent: 0000
Timeout: 1 seconds
BootOrder: 0000,0003,0001,0005,0006,0002,0007
Boot0000* ubuntu <-- This is now the GRUB boot files from Kubuntu 14.04
Boot0001* debian
Boot0002* grub_sda5K1504
Boot0003* rEFInd Boot Manager
Boot0005* Hard Drive
Boot0006* CD/DVD Drive
Boot0007* ubuntu <-- also for Kubuntu 14.04
Boot0008* CD/DVD Drive
The reason is:
Thus far, for UEFI setups, there is only one standard directory for Ubuntu and its derivatives. It is this:
/boot/efi/EFI/ubuntu (recall that the ESP (= sda1 in my case) is mounted at /boot/efi (in the Kubuntu filesystem)).
There is not a special directory for Kubuntu 14.04, or for Kubuntu 15.04, or for Mint, or for Xubuntu, etc. There is only the one ESP directory for all (K)Ubuntu's: /EFI/ubuntu.
The GRUB 2-EFI from the last Ubuntu distribution you install will overwrite whatever is in /EFI/ubuntu with its own boot files (for the newly installed OS). (Mint is a Ubuntu derivative, and so all this applies to Mint.)
For UEFI, Kubuntu, and GRUB2-EFI, see my how-to:
UEFI for Kubuntu -- simplified
https://www.kubuntuforums.net/showth...l=1#post373198
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Summary impressions of Mint KDE, so far
No surprises, not much to complain about or to report, Mint KDE just works and comes with lots of installed software and codecs already installed and more software that you can install using the CLI or using Synaptic. Installation and use go fairly smooth, relaxing, with no major hurdles. If you are used to Kubuntu and KDE, getting used to Mint KDE should be easy.